


Seeing Stars

by ActingItUp



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Canon Era, First Kiss, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-28 06:05:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11411781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ActingItUp/pseuds/ActingItUp
Summary: "Davey turned to look at Crutchie, another thing he loved about talking to Davey. He always asked his opinion on things, even if they both knew Crutchie didn’t have much knowledge on the topic. Still, it made Crutchie feel important. Like he mattered."





	Seeing Stars

Crutchie and Davey hardly ever got to spend time alone without Jack, or anyone else, around. The rest of the newsies were downstairs playing cards, where Crutchie assumed Race was hustling everyone out of their savings. But it was times like these that Crutchie loved. It wasn’t often he got to make new friends and Davey was the type of boy Crutchie never had a chance to interact with other than hustling them to sell an evening pape to. David was smart and knew things and had stories to tell about school and Crutchie loved to hear about school. He’d gone himself for a year when he was very young, but once his leg started to pose a problem, he’d dropped out. Crutchie loved to learn, though, and he could listen to Davey drone on about his lectures for hours. He imagined getting smarter just by listening to him talk.

“So we were taught astronomy today,” Davey hummed happily, sitting next to Crutchie on a blanket laid out on the roof of the lodging house. Crutchie had his legs stretched out, grateful to be off his feet.

“Astronomy? That’s… that’s stars and the moon right?” Crutchie asked, wracking his brain and trying to make sure he had the right subject.

David chuckled and nodded. “Planets, too. There’s other worlds out there in space that orbit the sun, just like Earth.”

“What!?” Crutchie sat up straighter, not believing what he was hearing. “Does that mean that there’s other  _people_  living on those planets, too?”

Davey only shrugged. “Possibly, but I don’t think so.” He looked up at the darkening sky, the moon shining brightly overhead.

“Why not?”

“Because we would have discovered them by now, don’t you think?” Davey turned to look at Crutchie, another thing he loved about talking to Davey. He always asked his opinion on things, even if they both knew Crutchie didn’t have much knowledge on the topic. Still, it made Crutchie feel important. Like he mattered.

“I dunno,” Crutchie admitted. “Maybe. But just because we ain’t found them yet don’t mean they ain’t there.”

Davey stared at him for a second, not saying anything. He felt like he might melt under his gaze.

After a minute of silence, Davey said, “Crutchie, have you ever been sweet on someone?”

“What!?” Crutchie was sure his whole face was as red as the apples Mr. Lovelace sold at his stand on the corner. He wished more than ever that he didn’t need his crutch so he could get up and run away. Sweet on someone? When had he ever had an  _opportunity_  to be sweet on someone? No one wanted someone dirty and poor and broken like him.

“Crutchie?” Concern laced David’s face and he shifted to his knees to face the other boy. There were tears in Crutchie’s eyes and David didn’t know why. “Crutchie, are you crying?”

“No!” Crutchie was adamant, furiously rubbing at his eyes. He would  _not_  cry. “M'fine.” He grabbed his crutch and pulled himself to his feet. He walked to the edge of the roof and looked out over the city. There were a few stars shining and Crutchie thought about the other worlds that may or may not have strange people on them. He wondered, if there were people, if he’d fit in with them. Maybe they’d treat him just as well as anyone else rather than spitting in his face and looking down on him just because of his leg. Damn his leg.

“Charlie.”

The use of his real name made him jump. He spun around to see Davey, only mere inches in front of him. He didn’t know what it was, but something about Davey always managed to calm him down.

“I didn’t mean to make you upset,” Davey almost whispered. Crutchie pushed past him, wanting to get away from the thoughts of his leg and of how he’d end up alone and–

“No girl would want someone like me, Davey. It’s not like I even get a chance to flirt with–”

“Who said I was talking about a girl?” David turned to stare at him. Crutchie froze. Oh no.  _No no no_. Davey couldn’t know about that. He’d been careful not to come across as any kind of… queer. He never looked at a boy for too long, he was careful never to be too friendly with a boy, he talked about girls with the newsies… He’d been careful. He’d never even mentioned anything of the sort to anyone ever!

Crutchie took a deep breath and forced a laugh. “What do you mean, Davey? Who else would I be sweet on?”

“Charlie, I– Uh…” David rubbed the back of neck. He looked… nervous. “What if, hypothetically speaking, I were to tell you that I liked a boy?” His cheeks were flushed pink and he wouldn’t meet Crutchie’s eye anymore. Crutchie felt his heart swell for a moment, hope making him feel light as a feather and sick to his stomach all at once.

He’d always wanted to kiss David.

Of course he never wanted to admit that to anyone, even himself, but sometimes during their talks, Crutchie would envision what it would be like. Davey talked so much, but in the quiet moments when the conversation lulled and Davey would smile at him, Crutchie would pretend for just a moment that he could press their lips together. And it would be nice. He  _hoped_  it would be nice. Even if it were just for a second.

“Davey, what’re you talking about?” Crutchie had meant to sound confident, but his voice cracked, giving him away.

The silence stretched between them as David seemed to search for the right thing to say. There was still only a few inches between the two of them and Crutchie was beginning to worry that David would hear his heart trying to break out of his chest.

“Do you think it’s wrong? For a boy to– to have feelings for another boy? Romantic feelings, I mean?”

Crutchie swallowed hard. Was this some kind of trap?

“The law says–”

“I know what the law says. I’m not asking about the law, I’m asking you.”

He wanted to say yes. He wanted to say that the law was the law and they couldn’t change it, even if they wanted to. Striking against the  _law_  was much bigger than striking against a newspaper. But David was staring at him so intensely and Crutchie felt like his lungs were on fire and his knuckles hurt from how hard he was gripping his crutch and suddenly Crutchie heard himself saying, “No. It shouldn’t be wrong.”

He watched as the tension in Davey’s shoulders rolled away as he relaxed and Crutchie felt himself relax too. It wasn’t a trick after all.

A sudden thought made his heart sink.

“Is… Is this about Jack?”

“What?” Davey’s voice cracked and Crutchie knew that this was, indeed, about Jack.

“It’s just that… I’ve seen the way you two look at each other and both of yous can’t seem to stop talking about each other most of the time. So I just thought…” Crutchie trailed off as he saw Davey’s shoulders droop.

David shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down. “Jack isn’t… He doesn’t… He deserves better.”

“Who could be better than you, Davey?” Crutchie smiled before realizing the implication of what he’d said. “I-I mean it’s just that you guys get along so well and everything and I’ve never seen him get along with a girl like he gets along with you and you definitely–”

“Could I kiss you, Charlie?”

Crutchie stopped, mouth hanging open.  _What?_  Had he missed something? Wasn’t this about Davey and Jack? “Uhh…”

Immediately, David tensed again. “I-I’m sorry, did I misunderstand?”

Crutchie paled. “Misunderstand!?” He wanted to get away. More than ever, he understood why Jack always wanted to run. He cursed himself for not even being able to walk.

“It’s just that I–”

“Yes!”

Both boys froze, shocked into silence by Crutchie’s outburst. Crutchie wasn’t looking at David, but down at his feet. David could still see that his cheeks had flushed pink again. After a minute or so, David cleared his throat.

“Do… do you mean ‘yes’ as in 'yes, I misunderstood’, or 'yes’ as in–”

“Kiss me,” Crutchie croaked, almost asking rather than telling. He’d never been kissed before and now that the opportunity was here, he was all but ready to jump on David.

Davey stepped forward and rather unceremoniously pressed his lips to Crutchie’s.

Davey’s lips were softer than Crutchie would have thought and the kiss was warm and wet. Crutchie’s heart fluttered and he found himself gripping Davey’s shirt. After a few awkward moments where neither boy moved a muscle, David slowly moved his mouth against Crutchie’s. Crutchie felt lost and found all at once, hesitantly kissing Davey back, moving his lips like Davey was. It was new and weird and felt like lightning. Davey cupped Crutchie’s face in his hands, stepping closer so their bodies were flush against each other. A soft whimper escaped Crutchie’s lips, making him pull back from sheer embarrassment.

Crutchie covered his mouth with his hand, stumbling back from David, who stood looking between confused and hurt. “Davey, I…I’m s-sorry… That was– I didn’t mean to…”

“What’re you apologizing for?” A small smile was beginning to grow on David’s face. “Knowing you liked it so much just makes me want to kiss you more.”

Crutchie’s face was once again a shade of bright red.  _Kiss him more?_  “It wasn’t… you know… bad?” His voice was still muffled by the hand over his mouth.

“God, no!” David laughed, stepping towards Crutchie again. “Am I allowed to kiss you again?”

He stared at David for a moment. This couldn’t be real, and yet, there David was, standing in front of him with a dopey grin and red lips, waiting to be kissed again. Crutchie slowly lowered his hand and nodded. David, more confidently this time, kissed him.

They stayed that way for a while, kissing and holding each other, neither of them believing the moment was real. At some point, Crutchie had dropped his crutch, choosing to cling to Davey instead. By the time they broke apart, they were breathing heavily and their lips were a bit swollen.

“We… we should probably go downstairs soon,” David huffed sadly. He desperately wanted to continue kissing Crutchie for the rest of forever if only he could. Crutchie nodded, looking down at where his crutch had fallen.

“Could lend me a hand?” Crutchie smiled apologetically. David knelt down to grab the crutch, handing it to him.

“Hey, Charlie?”

“Yeah?” Crutchie still felt lightheaded and dizzyingly happy from the kissing. He could hardly focus on what Davey said.

“I’d love to… Uh, do this again,” David said, too much formality in his tone, but Crutchie smiled anyway.

“Me too, Davey.” He stepped forward and gave David another quick peck on the lips. “Me too.”


End file.
